we went there, and were as happy as people are but once in their lives. My faith!
Wasn't it love among the roses!"
Laurie seemed to forget Jo for a minute, and Jo was glad of it, for the fact that
he told her these things so freely and so naturally assured her that he had quite
forgiven and forgotten. She tried to draw away her hand, but as if he guessed the
thought that prompted the half-involuntary impulse, Laurie held it fast, and said,
with a manly gravity she had never seen in him before...
"Jo, dear, I want to say one thing, and then we'll put it by forever. As I told
you in my letter when I wrote that Amy had been so kind to me, I never shall
stop loving you, but the love is altered, and I have learned to see that it is better
as it is. Amy and you changed places in my heart, that's all. I think it was meant
to be so, and would have come about naturally, if I had waited, as you tried to
make me, but I never could be patient, and so I got a heartache. I was a boy then,
headstrong and violent, and it took a hard lesson to show me my mistake. For it
was one, Jo, as you said, and I found it out, after making a fool of myself. Upon
my word, I was so tumbled up in my mind, at one time, that I didn't know which
I loved best, you or Amy, and tried to love you both alike. But I couldn't, and
when I saw her in Switzerland, everything seemed to clear up all at once. You
both got into your right places, and I felt sure that it was well off with the old
love before it was on with the new, that I could honestly share my heart between
sister Jo and wife Amy, and love them dearly. Will you believe it, and go back to
the happy old times when we first knew one another?"
"I'll believe it, with all my heart, but, Teddy, we never can be boy and girl
again. The happy old times can't come back, and we mustn't expect it. We are
man and woman now, with sober work to do, for playtime is over, and we must
give up frolicking. I'm sure you feel this. I see the change in you, and you'll find
it in me. I shall miss my boy, but I shall love the man as much, and admire him
more, because he means to be what I hoped he would. We can't be little
playmates any longer, but we will be brother and sister, to love and help one
another all our lives, won't we, Laurie?"
He did not say a word, but took the hand she offered him, and laid his face
down on it for a minute, feeling that out of the grave of a boyish passion, there
had risen a beautiful, strong friendship to bless them both. Presently Jo said
cheerfully, for she didn't want the coming home to be a sad one, "I can't make it
true that you children are really married and going to set up housekeeping. Why,